Coffee and dessert pair nearly as perfectly as peanut butter and jelly. Whether your preference is decaf or regular, a hot cup of Joe is the best complement to the sweet treat at the end of a meal.

Tiramisu can be served in many different ways but is most commonly served with coffee or coffee-flavored liquor.

Naturally, then, one cannot go wrong with combining the two to create one mouth-wateringly decadent dessert. This coffee-flavored treat hails from Italy and consists of several different textures and flavors.

Tiramisu is thought to have originated in the 1960s, created by a confectioner named Roberto Linguanotto and named after his apprentice, Francesca. It’s made with lady fingers dipped in coffee and layered with a cocoa-flavored mixture of whipped eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese. The recipe has been adapted over the years to create new variations, including some with alcohol such as dark rum or Kahlua.

Tiramisu can be found at many restaurants, but where better to go for an Italian dessert than a fine Italian bistro such as Sam & Gabe’s?

Sam and Gabe’s feature a classic, simple Tiramisu as the perfect dessert after a big Italian meal.

“It’s made with coffee, whipped cream and cheese, that’s the cool thing about Italian food, it’s so simple,” said manager Shawn Chapman.

When served at Sam and Gabe’s, the Tiramisu is paired with a heavy and rich coffee, like a French Roast, to balance out the light dessert and garnished with decedent chocolate syrup and cocoa topping.

Even though Sam and Gabe’s serves a common Tiramisu, they go easy on the alcohol. It is made with coffee flavored liqueur, but not as much as other establishments. It is a very light dessert, and Sam and Gabe’s makes sure to keep the flavors, whether it’s coffee or liqueur, light as well.

Reasonably priced at $7, the Tiramisu at Sam and Gabe’s is one of the most popular dishes and can be served in many different ways — as a simple dessert, paired with a hot cup of Joe or even served with a coffee-flavored liqueur. Most commonly, it is a light dessert after a classic Italian meal. RELISH